Moving On
by kathryn ashworth
Summary: David is getting married, nuff said


Moving On

Usual disclaimer applies, and once again I have nothing of value, unless you value odd socks, old copies of Top Gear Magazine and many, many pictures of Jenson Button.

Niles was pacing the length of the small dressing room

"Dad will you stop doing that, you're going to wear holes in the carpet, and that's another expense we don't need" David said to his father "And another thing, why are you so nervous, I'm the one getting married, not you." he continued. They were interrupted by Daphne coming into the room

"My don't you look handsome" she said to her son. Even though he had known her for 35 years, and they had been married for 25, Niles was still enchanted by her beauty.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but why are you getting married at such a young age? you haven't even finished college yet. I just don't want you, or Laura for that matter, to get hurt."

"Mum, if I wasn't sure about this I wouldn't be here now. I love Laura and I never want to let her go. In fact I have only one regret about this whole thing, and that is that Grandpa isn't here." Martin had passed away three years previously at the grand age of 93, the whole family missed him immensley, but especially Frasier who was glad of the fact that he had time to forge a strong father-son bond that had been lacking in his life. Just then Eva walked in

"Hey guys what you talking about?"  
"Just the fact that we wish your Grandpa was here." Niles replied looking at his daughter, who resembled Daphne more and more each day.

"Whilst you're both here, and this may be the last time we have a chance to be together we just want to say thanks for the trip to Reno, what better way to celebrate 25 years of marriage than to return where we got married, and that we are incredibly proud of both you, David I know you will be a wonderful husband, and in the future, father. I just don't want you to get distracted from your studies, you still have 3 more years, and Eva, even though you don't leave for college for a couple of months I just want to say that I am so happy you have found the career you wish to persue at such a young age and that you will be an amazing teacher, you are great with kids. I know you both can do whatever you want." Niles rolled his eyes at this final cliche statement. With that the minister appeared at the door to tell David that they were ready to start and if he would go to the front of the church. On their way up to the isle Niles whispered in Daphne's ear "At least we aren't going to have any babies making an appearance at this wedding". This caused Daphne to well up, her little boy was getting married he was a man, not the toddler who used to run round the house naked, or the 4 year old who on his first day at Kindergarten stood at the top os the stairs and said "I feel like wearing a skirt today", or the 8 year old attempting to play the piano, he was a man.

Soon after they were seated the wedding march began playing as the bridesmaids came up the aisle, followed by Laura in a beautiful simple gown with a corset top and a flowing skirt, David turned around and gave her a look of pure love, one that was familiar to Daphne as it was the same look his father gave her everytime she entered a room. Shorty after the minister began the service tears began to roll down her cheek, she silently wiped them away. Unfortunatley when it came time for David and Laura to recite thier vows they came back with a vengence. She had been so touched that three months before the wedding David came to her to ask of she still had a copy of her and Niles' vows as they would love to use them in the service.

"I, Laura Brown, do take thee, David Crane, as my husband. I promise you my fidelity and my support, my laughter and my tears, my constant friendship and my unending love as long as we both shall live."

"I, David Crane, do take thee, Laura Brown, as my wife. I vow to you my fidelity and my support, my honor and my respect, my honesty and my protection. You are my comfort, my joy, and my one true love. I will cherish you all the days of my life and treasure the journey that has brought us to this most wonderful perfect place."

Niles held his wifes hand as they waited outside the church, David was now a married man, he couldn't believe it, his son was married. He was distract from these thoughts by Daphne rustling in his jacket pocket,

"I'm looking for the confetti, where did you put it?" she asked

"I thought you had it in your purse, so I'm guessing it's still on the coffee table. Do you have a tissue or anything else we can make confetti out of?" Niles asked, Daphne hoped that he was joking, "I think we'd better ask Roz if she has any spare, I can't belive we forgot the confetti for our son's wedding", as she went over to Roz she was stopped by Eva who notice that both her and her father looked liked they had lost something.  
"What you lost?" she asked when Daphne said that they had left the confetti at the apartment she began to dig through her purse, "I brought my own, well when do you get the opportunity to throw things at your brother and not get told off about it, even if it is only paper" she replied with a giggle. Daphne smiled at her daughter and remembered the time she used that same excuse when Michael got married.

After the photographs had been taken the wedding party made their way to the hotel where the reception was taking place. Frasier had managed to cadge a lift with Niles and Daphne on the condition that he was to navigate as the hotel was some way out of the city and down a winding lane, needless to say they got hoplessly lost and only found the hotel by accident as it was somewhere that they could ask for directions, thankfully, although David didn't see it that way, they weren't the only ones who got lost, in fact they had an easy time of it compared to Roz and Alice, unfortunatley one of Laura's friends was also in the car with them and was holding the map upside down, they eventually turned up two and a half hours late, just as the rest of the group were filing into the dining room.

After the meal came the inevitible speeches, the best man, Carson, who was David's college room-mate made his speech first, he managed to keep everyone happy by putting in a few dirty jokes that were so shrouded in euphemism that everyone one was happy. The last person to make a speech was Niles

"I am proud to call myself David's father" he began "35 years ago I met a woman who changed my life, 25 years ago we were married, and 23 years ago we were blessed with a wonderful son, everytime I look at David and Laura together I am reminded of myself and Daphne. I just hope that she makes you as happy as Daphne makes me, and just so you don't feel left out 19 years ago, well near enough, we were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Eva, who resembles her mother more each day. To David and Laura" Niles said raising his glass to the happy couple, by this point Eva was blushing furiously, "Why did he have to mention me" she thought to herself. On returning to his seat Daphne kissed him passionatley,

"What was that for?" he asked rather surpised by the kiss.

"So I now need a reason to kiss my incredibly sexy husband who just made a wonderful speech about our son on his wedding day? Plus weddings always put me in a romanitc mood..."

Looking into his wife's eyes triggered the immense swell of love he got everytime he was near her, of if he got the merest hint of cherry bark and almonds. Their romantic moment was interrupted by Roz, who wanted to know if any one had seen Alice, as she had Roz's room key in her purse and she had managed to get the raspberry coulis from the dessert all over her top and she had to go and change. Neither Niles nor Daphne had seen her since she was flirting with one of Laura's cousins, some thing evidently run in families, just before the cutting of the cake.

Eventually everyone had made their way into the function room for the evening do, Frasier was flirting with one of Laura's aunts, well some things never change, execpt this time she actually seemed interested, on the other side of the room Alice was talking to her mother. Daphne looked at them, it only seemed like last week that they were at the hospital being introduced to Alice for the first time. As soon as Niles came to the table with a bottle of wine and two glassed than the band leader announced that the time had come for the new Mr and Mrs Crane to take their first dance, looking at the couple now slowly moving round the dancefloor, Niles and Daphne both wore the same look of pride for their first born child, in the middle of the song Niles leaned over to Daphne and said

"We never got to dance like this after our weddings, so would you care to join me on the dance floor Mrs Crane"  
"Love to Dr Crane" she replied with a huge grin on her face, with that they joined David and Laura on the floor, within minutes the dancefloor was full of couples moving slowly together, some new, some old but all lost in the moment. Much later when the guests were drifting off to bed, David surveyed the room, he had never been happier, he was surprised when Laura came up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist,

"Do you want to go upstairs and make the marriage offical..." she said with a smile slowly spreading across her face. Turning round in her arms he looked her in the eyes and said "Do you even need to ask?" and kissed her whilst picking her up and carrying her to the elevator. The doors opened to reveal Niles and Daphne in a passionate clinch,

"Couldn't you two wait til you got to the room?" David asked as his parents untangled each other from the embrace.

"Well you two are hardly restraining yourselves either" Niles said

"Yes, but we are the newlyweds, you two have been together for nearly 30 years, we have an excuse" David replied

"So just because we have been together much longer than you it doesn't mean we are any less in love." Daphne said to the younger couple, with that the elevator doors opened and both couples went off to their respective rooms, within seconds of each other both the Crane men carried their respective brides over the threshold of their rooms.

Please R&R


End file.
